This invention relates to an aerial device and, more particularly, to the structure of such an aerial device.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a powered aircraft with no human operator. They may fly autonomously or may be piloted remotely. Some UAVs are recoverable, while others are expendable after one flight. UAVs have been used for a variety of purposes, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, data acquisition, jamming, and ordnance delivery. This increased emphasis on the role of UAVs in society has led to advancements in both airframe design and propulsion systems.
Conventional rotary wing aircraft UAVs, such as the rotary wing aircraft 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, have a main rotor 40 mounted to a fuselage 20 to provide lift and thrust. A rotary wing aircraft UAV 10 can hover over a fixed spatial point and takeoff and land vertically, but has limitations when operating in confined areas due to the exposed rotors above the fuselage. As illustrated, the propulsion system 50 and the tail structure 30 are aligned with a central axis Z of the rotary wing aircraft 10. The engine 52 is stacked directly above the tail rotor drive shaft 54 to define the profile, and therefore the height, of a portion of the fuselage 20.